Kenya: Water supply in five villages

The Southwest Sakwa Community Water Project is a community initiative 400 km northwest of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which provides sustainable water supply solutions. The GFA-funded project will supply piped and portable water to approximately 25,310 people in addition to children in eight primary and four secondary schools. Previously, these communities depended on untreated, unhealthy water drawn from a few scattered earth pans storing surface run-off rainwater. When the earth pans dry up, both women and young girls have to walk up to 12 km to draw dirty, untreated water from Lake Victoria.

The proposed initiative will impact communities in five villages in Kenya's West Sakwa Ward. As waterborne diseases are rampant, these particular communities have endured a higher morbidity rate among children under five years than the national average. This initiative provides for them increased availability and access to water. Moreover, the initiative will have a positive impact on women and girls who will be able to spend less time fetching water and instead have the opportunity to go to school or engage in productive activities. In a nutshell, the project's benefits will improve the socio-economic status of the community.

Beneficiaries in these villages have made in-kind contributions by donating small parcels of land, on which the water points can be constructed. Young people there will provide subsidised casual labour for clearing bushes at the construction sites and participate in the construction work of the platforms.

The project was initiated by Greg Umaya, Regional Coordinator, East Africa GIZ-CAADP-ATVET.